I have a degree in law from Tbilisi Institute of Law & Psychology (2003). Six years with the Legal Aid Service is my longest practice as a lawyer. Legal aid is in high demand in Georgia. Usually, I have 100 and more running cases at a time.
Some of the cases are emotionally challenging as well as legally complicated. One of those is a case of a teenage boy whose family was killed in his home country. A family friend helped him run away by forging his age in the passport so that he could cross the border. Once in Georgia, the boy applied for a legal status but failed to succeed for three years. Courts did not seem sympathetic to his case. He was losing hope for a normal life ever again. In 2016, he applied for help to the Legal Aid Service. We took the case and – I am proud to say! – won it. He is no longer a stateless person, lonely and desperate. He is safe now and can rebuild his life in Georgia. That happened because of our help.
It is crucial to gain trust of your beneficiaries. Only then can you get a complete and reliable information about their cases and come up with a winning strategy. People who seek legal aid are often worried, depressed, desperate or scared, especially when they face family disputes or domestic violence. Lawyers and consultants must be also skilled in psychology to discuss those painful matters openly and frankly. Such openness lays the ground for a successful collaboration between a lawyer and a beneficiary.
I recall a case of a displaced person who was also a war veteran. Our first meeting totally failed as he was intimidating and aggressive. His claims sounded unrealistic too. My only chance as his attorney was to convince him to change his mind and take a different course of action. I asked him to give me one more opportunity and meet again. He did so, and this worked out perfectly. As we moved forward with his case, he agreed with my reasoning and together we managed to win.
There are a lot of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Georgia and this makes legal aid more critical than ever. A sound system of legal aid is equally important for Georgia as a sound system of healthcare.
Georgia has survived the collapse of Soviet Union and first challenging steps towards market economy. Now we are building a society that is based on the respect for human rights. The Legal Aid Service has an essential role in this process.
Someday, I would love to see Georgia where legal aid is not needed any more, where there are no more poor and disadvantaged people. But for now, our beneficiaries need our help, and we are ready to give it.